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Cowbell Kingdom Podcast Ep 23: Introducing J.J. Hickson

The Sacramento Kings and Cleveland Cavaliers’ swap of Omri Casspi and J.J. Hickson was the last transaction made before the NBA lockout. Now that the five-month work stoppage has officially come to an end, the Kings newest addition is eager to suit up in black and purple. We caught up with Hickson last night for this week’s Cowbell Kingdom Podcast.

Highlights

Hickson spent a chunk of his time during the lockout working out at IMPACT Basketball’s training facility in Las Vegas. He says he worked on an array of offensive moves and refined his pick-and-roll game. But his mid-range game is what he’s most proud of. “I think it’s going to be a big surprise in my game to see me knock down that jumper.”

Hickson also discussed his brief overseas stint in Israel. Why did it last only one game? “I think it had to do a little with being homesick. And I found my father was sick too, who lives in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.” He added: “That was kind of the cue for me to get back to the states and see him…”

Losing became part of the culture in Cleveland last year after LeBron James departed for Miami. But Hickson spoke positively of his final year as a Cavalier. “A lot of people may say I’m crazy for saying this, but I think last season, that was a great experience not just for me, but for everyone on that team. Because it just shows you what it takes to be a championship-caliber type team and it shows you the hard work that you have to put in, on and off the court, into being a great basketball player and to being a good team.” He added: “I don’t wish it on anybody, but like I said it was a good learning experience for me.”

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Founded in 2009, Cowbell Kingdom is a member of the ESPN TrueHoop Network. Its goal is to provide frontline, on-the-ground coverage of the Kings that leads to interesting and thought-provoking discussion amongst readers and viewers.